The role of higher education institutions in innovation and regional development ecosystems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26767/colquio.23.4197Keywords:
higher education institutions; innovation; regional development; knowledge transfer; innovation ecosystems.Abstract
In the 21st century, higher education institutions (HEIs) play a strategic role not only in human capital formation and knowledge production, but also as central actors in innovation, knowledge transfer, and regional development. This systematic review, guided by the PRISMA 2020 protocol, analyzed the literature published between 2007 and 2025 in three databases: Science Direct, SciELO, and DOAJ, totaling 45 studies. The search used descriptors related to higher education institution in association with regional development, innovation, and innovation ecosystem/knowledge transfer, in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, with a focus on open access publications. The results show that scientific production on the topic is growing, with a predominance of empirical research articles and complemented by systematic and bibliometric reviews. Studies indicate that HEIs play decisive roles in innovation ecosystems, whether through the generation of patents, spin-offs, and university-industry partnerships, or through participation in public policies for smart specialization (RIS3) and the promotion of sustainable innovation. The theoretical contribution lies in the integration of HEIs and innovation ecosystems into a single analytical framework; the practical contribution offers support for ST&I policies and university governance, through development of new metrics for social and territorial impact is recommended, as well as the expansion of comparative and time-series studies that qualify the evaluation of results.
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